Vehicle lamp



April 21, 1925 1,534,991

A. REEVES VEHICLE LAMP Fil d July 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. REEVES VEHICLE LAMP April 21, 1925.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5. 1922 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES I 1,534,991 PATENT oFFicE.

ALFRED REEVES, F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF HERBERT CUMING BUTLER,

ONE-HALF TO GEQRGE OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

VEHICLE LAMP.

Application filed July 5,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALrn-no REEvEs, a subect of the Kingdom of Great Britain, residing at 133, Somerville Road", Small Heath, Birmingham, in the county of lVarwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Vehicle Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in or relating to electric lamps such as are adapted for use as head, side, or other lights on automobiles or other vehicles.

More particularly the invention relates to electric lamps such as are adapted for this purpose of. the type which is adjustable eitherhorizontally or vertically to any required angle when in use upon the vehicle, and in which the lamp body contains a collapsible and extensible electric cable, the lamp in its entirety, and collectively with said cable, being adapted for ready detachment from its supporting bracket for use in any required position on or about the vehicle as a hand lamp or extension lamp.

In a known form of electric lamp of this type, the lamp body has been fitted with an internal partition providing a rear chamber which has been utilized for containing the collapsible and extensible cable, the latter being either arranged loosely therein or being arranged therein in an orderly manner, the lamp socket being carried either by said partition or by a separate mounting in Front thereof.

According to the present invention, an electric lamp of the type referred to is provided wherein the electric bulb socket is mounted axially within the lamp in a. rotatable drum adapted to accommodate the collapsible and extensible electric cable, and said rotatable drumis connected to an cxtcrnal actuating disc by which the cable may be rewound when it is desired to reassemble the lamp on its mounting. Advantageously the rearward face of said external actuating disk may be fitted with an observation mirror, to thereby avoid theprovision of a separate fitting for that purpose.

In order that this invention may be clean ly understood and readily carried into practicc, reference may be had to the appended explanatory sheets of drawings, upon which 1922. Serial No. 572,827.

Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective of an electric lamp constructed and mounted in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same.

Figure 3 is a partly sectional front elevation of a part of the lamp mounting.

In a convenient embodiment of the invention a lamp of the ordinary parabolic reflector type is provided. The lamp casing 1 is provided on one side with a conical sleeved horizontal aperture 2 by which the lamp is rotatably mounted upon the conical extremity 3 of the horizontal arm 1 of a tubular elbow 5 of known type, the lamp being secured upon said arm 4 by means of an internal nut 6 cooperating with a loose washer 7 and with an intermediate flexible split washer 8, to thereby provide a frictional swivelling adjustment of the lamp in a vertical plane upon said horizontal arm 4:. I The downturned vertical arm 9 of this tubular elbow 5 terminates in a conical flange 10 which is rotatably sea-ted within a corresponding conical socket- 11 provided in the upper extremity of a vertical bearing sleeve 1:2, so as to provide a swivelling adjustment of the lamp in a. horizontal plane within said sleeve 12, to which the vertical arm 9 is detachably connected by means of an internally screw-threaded and externally milled hollow nut 13 assembled over the tubular elbow 5 in bearing contact with its terminal conical flange 10 and adapted for locking engagement with external screw threads provided on the upper extremity oi the sleeve 12. This vertical bearing sleeve 12 is formed on one side with a projecting longitudinal rib let which provides a means of attachment to a sup-- porting clip 15 of suitable form, by which the lamp mounting is detachably attached to a lamp bracket or to the wind screen frame or other convenient part 01 the vehicle, the sides of this clip 15 at their inner extremities embracing said longitudinal rib 15 and being rigidly secured thereto by studs 16 or the like. The flexible electric cable 17 is adapted to be passed through said vertical bearing sleeve 1) and said tubular elbow 5 to the interior of the lamp. and the vertical bearing sleeve 12 may cooperate at its lower extremity with a rotatable dimmer switch 18 of ordinary or suitable type.

The socket 19 which carries the electric bulb is mounted axially within the lamp in a rotatable drum located behind the reilector 21, and which is adapted to accommodate an extended length of the flexible electric cable 17. This drum comprises a central sleeve portion 22 which encloses the bulb socket 19, which latter is rotatable therewith and is slidable therein against the action of a spiral spring 23, and said central sleeve 22 is fitted at its rear extremity within a sleeved aperture 2a provided axially in the rear part of the lamp casing l. The drum is provided with a rear flange 25 which abuts against an inner flange 26 of said sleeved aperture 2% in the casing, and with a front flange 27 oi dished formation conforming to the shape of the central rear part of the reflector 21. The central sleeve 22 of the drum is provided at its rear extremity with an inward flange 28 which provides an abutment for the aforesaid spiral spring 23 which controls the sliding movement of the bulb socket 19, and this inward flange 28 is apertured at a plurality of points in its circumference for attachment by means of screws 29 or the like to an external actuatingdisc 30 by which the rotation of the drum may be controlled.

This external actuating disc 30 is ad vantageously of hollow dished "formation, and is centrally apertured for accommodation therethrough of the rearwardly pro jecting end of an externally screw-tl'ireaded axial bolt member 31 projecting from the bulb socket 19, the bulb socket being securedwithin the drum by means of a nut 32, engaging said bolt 31 and abutting against the rear face 01 the disclO. The hollow external actuating disc 30 is formed with a circumferential rim 33 which is externally milled to facilitate its rotation, and within which is litted illl-ObSQlVfltiOll n'iirror retained in position by a flexible split ring 35.

The lamp is normally adapted for use as a spot-light, in which position it is swivellingly adjustable, either horizontally or vertically to any desired angle. On the lock nut 13 of the lamp mounting being released, the lamp is at once detachable from said mounting and can be moved to any required position on or about the vehicle for use as a hand lamp or extension lamp, the rotatable drum permitting of the necessary unwinding of the cable extension. \Vhen it. is desired to reassemble the lamp on its mounting, the cable 17 is readily rewound upon the rotatable drum by means of the external actuating); disc 30, thereby enabling the lamp to be remounted in normal position.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patient is:

1. A lamp casing having an opening in its rear side, a drum in said casing having a central sleeve extending through and arranged for rotation in said opening, a bulb socket in said sleeve having a bolt extending rearwardly therefrom, a spring active to move said bulb socket forwardly, a rotatable disk arranged externally on the rear side of the casing, secured to said sleeve and having an opening through which said bolt extends, and a nut threaded on said bolt and bearing against said disk and coacting with said spring to hold said socket.

2. A lamp casing having an opening in its rear side, a drum in said casing having a cent 'al sleeve extending through and arranged tor rotation in said opening, a bulb socltet in said sleeve having a bolt extending rearwardly therefrom, a spring active to move said bulb socket -lorwardly, a 1'0 tatable dish arranged externally on the rear side of the casing, secured to said sleeve and having an opening through which said bolt extends, a nut threaded on said bolt and bearing against said disk and coacting with said spring to hold said socket, and a mirror detachably mounted on said disk and when removed therefrom all'ording access to said nut.

i In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED REEVES. 

